Putting cup



w. A. DAVENPORT 3,074,722

PUTTING 0UP Filed June 1, 1959 Jan. 22, 1963 INVENTOR BY M, a, @414 1 ATTORNEYS United rates areas 3,074,722 PUTTING CUP William A. Davenport, Portsmouth, Va., assignor of twenty-five percent to Henry I. Jade, Virginia Beach, Va., twenty=iivc percent to ll-lyman B. Lasting, Portsmouth, Va, and twenty-five percent to Milton Forster, Portsmouth, Va.

Filed lune l, 1959, Ser. No. 817,162 4- fClaims. (ill. 273-177) This invention relates to a game apparatus particularly designed for the purpose of improving the art of putting in the game of golf.

Priorly, numerous types of golf game devices have been employed for the purpose of improving the players putting ability. These devices, however, are generally quite complex and expensive. Accordingly, it is an ob ject of this invention to provide an improved putting game apparatus.

It is another object of this invention to provide a putting apparatus which is extremely economical to manufacture.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved putting game apparatus which can be operated in more than one manner.

Briefly, in accordance with aspects of this invention, a cup, preferably of plastic material, is pivotally mounted with its axis in a generally horizontal plans such as by means of a trunnion on a frame. This mounting permits the cup to pivot into an inclined position with respect to the supporting framework. Advantageously, the lip of the cup is flattened to define a broad runway for the ball. Also, this flattened lip engages the surface supporting the apparatus to permit the ball to enter the cup from a variety of different angles.

in accordance with other aspects of the invention, a portion of the opposite end or bottom of the cup is removed. The cup may be positioned on the mount or bracket to retain the golf ball when it enters the cup and causes the cup to tilt to its other inclined position. Alternatively, the cup may be positioned to discharge the golf ball rearwardly, depending on the positional relationship of the cup relative to the mount or support.

In accordance with still other aspects of this invention, the supporting framework includes a base which has two bifurcated portions directed in opposite directions such that the cup pivots to place the lip of the cup between one of the bifurcated portions and, in response to the passage of the ball into the cup past the pivot point, the cup tilts to a position in which the rear of the cup rests between the other or opposed bifurcated portion.

In accordance with other aspects of this invention, a pair of right angle members are mounted on the base member and these right angle members project through apertures in the cup to define a pivotal mounting for the cup. Advantageously, the base and angle members may also be made of plastic and the base may be swivelmounted on a second base member.

These and various other objects and features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a reading of the detailed description in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view in elevation of one illustrative embodiment of this invention with the cup shown in a horizontal position;

FIGURE 2 is a front view in elevation of another illustrative embodiment of this invention with the cup shown in a horizontal position;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG- URE 2 showing in dotted line the normal position of the cup and showing in solid line the position of the cup with a golf ball therein; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of FIGURE 3.

' ice Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is depicted a front view in elevation of one illustrative embodiment of this invention in which a base ltl has a cup 12 mounted thereon by means of a U-shaped bracket 14 which engages the trunnions 15 carried by the cup 12. Advantageously, the cup 12 has a pair of diametrically opposed flattened rim portions 17 and 18 for the purpose of defining a wider area of contact with the surface which supports the base 10. The cup is shown with its axis in a horizontal plane. However, the trunnions 15 are positioned rearwardly of the center of gravity of the cup with respect to the horizontal plane such that the cup normally assumes an inclined position with one of its respective flattened portions 18 or 17 in engagement with the surface which supports the base ill. Also, advantageously, the bottom or end of the cup is removed with the exception of an arcuate portion 20. The portion 2d acts as a retainer to retain the ball in the cup after the cup has tilted to its opposite position, as best seen in FIGURE 3.

The entire apparatus may be formed of plastic material and the cup may have such resilience that it may be manually collapsed in the area of the trunnions l5 and rotated degrees with respect to its horizontal axis and the trunnions replaced in the U-shaped bracket 14. The position of the lip 25} with respect to the horizontal axis of the cup 12 will then correspond to that shown in FIGURE 2 to operate in a manner which will be subsequently explained.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 2, the base 24 is swivel-mounted on a plate 26 by means of a suitable swivel pin 28 so that the base member 24 may be rotated to face in any convenient direction. The base member 24 includes a pair of angle members 3d and 32 positioned to engage suitable apertures in the cup 36. While the embodiment of FIGURE 2 is shown with its flattened lip 17 in the lower position, the cup may be manually collapsed and removed from the brackets 3i? and 32 and rotated 180 degrees with respect to its horizontal axis and replaced on the angle brackets 3d and 32. The retaining lip 2%)! will then be in a position corresponding to that shown in FIGURE 1. Accordingly, the ball will be retained in the cup after it passes the pivot point defined by the brackets 36 and 32, as shown in dotted outline in FIGURE 3. In FIGURE 3 the dotted line position of the cup 35 is a position which the cup normally assumes in the absence of a ball in the cup. When the ball is putted into the cup and rises up the inclined surface past the pivot point, as defined by the brackets 3d and 32, the cup will pivot to a position as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 3 and the ball 38 will rest against the lip 26 in the manner shown in FIGURE 3. If, however, the cup is removed from brackets Sll and 32 and rotated 180 degrees and reconnected to the brackets, the ball will pass through the cup and the cup will pivot to its initial position ready to receive the next ball.

As shown by the lines 21 in FIGURES 1 and 2, the aperture in the rear of the cup may be made as large as required to permit the passage of the ball 38 therethrough. This, however, will depend on the diameter of the bottom of the cup and the size of the lip 20. As shown by dotted line 21 in FIG. 3, the aperture Zll can be cut at an angle to the axis of the cup to enlarge the opening 21 if necessary.

As shown in FIGURE 4, which is a plan view of FIGURE 3, the base member 24, which is similar to base 19, is in the form of a doubly bifurcated member with opposed U-shaped apertures facing away from the angle brackets 39 and 32. The purpose of the U-shaped apertures it) and 42 is to permit the flattened edge portions 17 and 18 of the cup 35 to engage the base plate 26, thereby permitting the cup to define an inclined surface extending from the floor or other surface which supports the base plate 26.

While I have shown and described various embodiments of my invention, it is understood that the principles thereof may be extended to many and varied types of apparatus. The invention, therefore, is not to be limited to the details illustrated and described herein.

What is claimed is:

l. A game apparatus comprising a base member, a U-shaped member mounted on said base member and cup means pivotally mounted on said U-shaped member to pivot about a point substantially midway between the ends of the cup means, said U-shaped member extending from said base member a distance less than the distance from said point to either end of the cup means whereby said cup means normally assumes an inclined position with respect to said base member with the lip of the cup means in the same plane as the path of the ball and in response to the passage of a ball into said cup means and beyond said pivot point pivots to a second inclined position with respect to said base member, said cup means having the major portion of litS bottom removed to permit passage of a ball therethrough, said cup means returning to its initial position after the ball passes therethrough.

member is perpendicular to the axis of said cup means and positioned rearwardly of the center of gravity of said cup means to permit said cup means to assume an initial position in which the forward lip of said cup means is in the same plane as said base member and wherein said cup means rotates to a position in which the rearward end is in the plane of said base member in response to the passage of a ball therethrough and wherein said cup means returns to its initial position after the ball has passed therethrough.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said cup means has a flattened rim portion to define a relatively Wide area of contact with the base member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Loth Oct. 29, 1889 Elb Sept. 18, 1906 Cogswell Feb. 25, 1919 

1. A GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER, A U-SHAPED MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID BASE MEMBER AND CUP MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER TO PIVOT ABOUT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE END OF THE CUP MEANS, SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID BASE MEMBER A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE DISTANCE FROM SAID POINT TO EITHER END OF THE CUP MEANS WHEREBY SAID CUP MEANS NORMALLY ASSUMES AN INCLINED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BASE MEMBER WITH THE LIP OF THE CUP MEANS IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE PATH OF THE BALL AND IN RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF A BALL INTO SAID CUP MEANS AND BEYOND SAID PIVOT POINT PIVOTS TO A SECOND INCLINED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID CUP MEANS HAVING THE MAJOR PORTION OF ITS BOTTOM REMOVED TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF A BALL THERETHROUGH, SAID CUP MEANS RETURNING TO ITS INITIAL POSITION AFTER THE BALL PASSES THERETHROUGH. 